Possible move to ABQ

I worked in Albuquerque from 1995 until 2003 and I loved my time there. My home was in Cedar Crest (on the east side of Sandia Mountain) at 7,000' elevation. My property backed up to the National Forest. There were lots of hikes right from my back door. My commute to the city was pleasant and I had the sun at my back in the morning and on the way home the afternoon. I flew hang gliders off of the crest, and rented T41 trainers from the base flying club for family flying. Lots of great camping around the State, some fabulous back country flying and sublime weather. I enjoyed long bike rides there, especially the SantacFe century. We liked the food and the cultural diversity and the arc off history that is visible all around you there. We never had any problems with crime and my kids came through the schools intact. There is a thriving arts scene, good music and there won't be any shortage of vitamin D! I don't know where all the gloom and doom is coming from. Like most cities, if you want trouble, it is easy to find. We were looking for a quality life for our family and that is what we found. My job took me away from there but we have fond memories of the place. The main reason we didn't go back when we retired was because we wanted to be near the ocean. The plane I own now does perform better at sea level.
 
I worked in Albuquerque from 1995 until 2003 and I loved my time there. My home was in Cedar Crest (on the east side of Sandia Mountain) at 7,000' elevation. My property backed up to the National Forest. There were lots of hikes right from my back door. My commute to the city was pleasant and I had the sun at my back in the morning and on the way home the afternoon. I flew hang gliders off of the crest, and rented T41 trainers from the base flying club for family flying. Lots of great camping around the State, some fabulous back country flying and sublime weather. I enjoyed long bike rides there, especially the SantacFe century. We liked the food and the cultural diversity and the arc off history that is visible all around you there. We never had any problems with crime and my kids came through the schools intact. There is a thriving arts scene, good music and there won't be any shortage of vitamin D! I don't know where all the gloom and doom is coming from. Like most cities, if you want trouble, it is easy to find. We were looking for a quality life for our family and that is what we found. My job took me away from there but we have fond memories of the place. The main reason we didn't go back when we retired was because we wanted to be near the ocean. The plane I own now does perform better at sea level.
Cedar Crest is quite nice.
 
And crime rates in ABQ are still terrible. Yeah, they are better than in Baltimore, Philly, Atlanta, or basically any other black metro. They are about the same as in San Francisco. Which only seems good if you're escaping one of the big cities. Face it, ABQ is a pit when compared with any decent suburb of Seattle, Austin, or heck even Vegas.

One other thing: the city government has taken a course towards turning the city into every other cesspit. The ART project is deeply symptomatic of this "new urbanism" approach. Screw basic safety or roads, let's compete for mythical young professionals, is what is on the agenda. The crime rate may seem competitive now, but wait until bums spread into new habitats.

It used to be that the warzone was the only bad region. A year ago I found used needles in a restaurant near the Big-I. The rotten core keeps spreading, enveloping Nob Hill.

One surface observation you might like is the spread of the cages on the doors and windows. When I moved in, some time in 2008, you pretty much had to drive along Central or Zuni to see every house caged. Not so now. Every time a house is broken in, owners cage it. You 50% or more caged blocks all over the city. Even west of the river on the mesa it's a pretty common sight.

Yeah. Really got to watch those black metros. o_O
 
My vote also tends to favor the Los Ranchos/Rio Rancho neighborhoods.
 
Back
Top